The Remnant with Jonah Goldberg How to Teach the Kids Division of Labor | Interview: Jeanna Smialek
Nov 9, 2026
Jeanna Smialek, a New York Times economics journalist and author, explores Maria Edgeworth’s remarkable blend of literature and political economy. They discuss teaching Adam Smith through children’s stories, women’s education, Jane Marcet’s influence, Ireland and the potato famine, Edgeworth’s family and authorship, and why industrialization helped make the novel a serious intellectual form.
57:10
The Salon That Made Economics Accessible
- Jane Marcet used wealth, education, and salon connections to popularize political economy for young women.
- Her Conversations on Political Economy simplified Wealth of Nations and became a runaway hit.
How Edgeworth Learned Economics At Fourteen
- Edgeworth’s eccentric father forced her to study Smith, Hume, and political economy at fourteen.
- She then applied those theories while reorganizing his Irish estate and later used his name strategically.
Why Women Hid Serious Ideas In Fiction
- Educated women were widely viewed as socially destabilizing after the French Revolution.
- Edgeworth used fiction, moral framing, and her father’s intellectual cover to address subjects considered dangerous for women.
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Intro
00:00 • 3min
Edgeworth’s Fictional Economics Lessons
02:46 • 4min
The Literary Merits of Maria Edgeworth
06:24 • 2min
From Literary Celebrity to Classroom Author
07:55 • 5min
Teaching Division of Labor Through Cherries
13:04 • 1min
Jane Marcet Popularizes Political Economy
14:31 • 5min
Social Networks Behind Intellectual Exchange
19:02 • 2min
Ad break
20:40 • 1min
Edgeworth’s Unusual Education and Family
21:54 • 4min
Women Writers Under Intellectual Suspicion
25:47 • 6min
Recovering Adam Smith’s Radicalism
31:58 • 4min
Edgeworth’s Evolving Economic Thought
35:30 • 7min
Ad break
42:14 • 48sec
Industrial Change and the Novel’s Rise
43:02 • 4min
Edgeworth’s Sympathetic Irish Perspective
47:03 • 2min
Authorship, Gender, and the Little House Analogy
49:12 • 2min
Writing After Her Father’s Death
50:56 • 3min
Edgeworth’s Productive Writing System
54:15 • 1min
Outro
55:40 • 2min
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Ennui
Castle Rackrent and Ennui by Maria Edgeworth, edited with an introduction by Marilyn Butler
Maria Edgeworth
First published in 1809, Ennui follows Lord Glenthorn, a wealthy and idle earl who is unable to escape his debilitating boredom.
After discovering that he is actually the peasant Christy O'Donoghoe, he must confront poverty, social class, love, and the political unrest of Ireland during the 1798 Rebellion.
The novel combines moral instruction, social satire, and commentary on the Anglo-Irish class system.
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Patronage
Maria Edgeworth
Patronage is a four-volume novel first published in 1814 and one of Maria Edgeworth’s longest and most commercially successful works.
It contrasts the Percy and Falconer families: the Percys rely on diligence, independence, and moral judgment, while the Falconers pursue advancement through influential connections.
Through their fortunes, Edgeworth explores British class structures, professional opportunities, family life, gender expectations, and the personal costs of dependence on patronage.
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Conversations on Political Economy
In Which the Elements of That Science are Familiarly Explained
Jane Marcet
First published in 1816, the book explains concepts including property, labour, capital, wages, population, money, commerce, foreign trade, and taxation through conversations between Mrs. Bryan and Caroline.
Marcet draws on the ideas of Adam Smith, Thomas Robert Malthus, Jean-Baptiste Say, David Ricardo, and other economists, helping popularize economic thought among educated readers, particularly young women.
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Orlandino
Maria Edgeworth
Orlandino is a children’s novella centered on a graceless truant whose experiences lead him toward self-denial and moral reform.
Published in 1848, it was Maria Edgeworth’s final literary work and was written for the benefit of the Irish Poor Relief Fund during the Great Famine.
#8544
• Mentioned in 8 episodes
Adam Smith's America
How a Scottish Philosopher Became an Icon of American Capitalism
Glory Liu
Glory Liu's book 'Adam Smith's America' delves into the evolution of Adam Smith's influence in the United States, tracing how his ideas were reinterpreted and weaponized over time.
It highlights how Smith became a symbol of free markets and capitalism, despite his original work encompassing broader moral and economic philosophies.
The book explores the transformation of Smith's image from a moral philosopher to a champion of self-interest, particularly through the lens of the Chicago School of Economics.
#5256
• Mentioned in 13 episodes
Vanity Fair
William Makepeace Thackeray
*Vanity Fair* is William Makepeace Thackeray’s famous serialized novel, first published in 1847–1848 and subtitled *A Novel Without a Hero*.
It follows the lives of Becky Sharp and Amelia Sedley as they navigate love, money, class, and moral compromise during and after the Napoleonic Wars, offering a sharp critique of vanity and hypocrisy in society.
#52
• Mentioned in 331 episodes
Atlas Shrugged
Ayn Rand
Published in 1957, 'Atlas Shrugged' is Ayn Rand's magnum opus and her longest novel.
The story is set in a dystopian United States where increasingly burdensome laws and regulations strangle innovation and productivity.
The plot follows Dagny Taggart, a railroad executive, and Hank Rearden, a steel magnate, as they struggle against 'looters' who exploit their work.
A mysterious figure named John Galt leads a strike of productive individuals, persuading them to abandon their companies and disappear.
The novel culminates with Galt's three-hour radio speech explaining his philosophy of Objectivism, which emphasizes rational self-interest, individual rights, and the importance of the human mind.
The book explores themes of capitalism, property rights, and the failures of governmental coercion, presenting a provocative vision of a society in collapse and the potential for a new capitalist society based on Galt's principles.
#799
• Mentioned in 61 episodes
Mansfield Park
Jane Austen
monica arcija
The novel follows Fanny Price, a young girl from a poor family who is sent to live with her wealthy uncle and aunt, Sir Thomas and Lady Bertram, at Mansfield Park.
Fanny navigates the complexities of her new environment, dealing with the mistreatment by some family members and the kindness of her cousin Edmund.
The story unfolds with the arrival of the charming but morally dubious Crawfords, leading to a series of scandals and moral dilemmas.
Ultimately, Fanny's integrity and compassion guide her through the challenges, and she finds love and a sense of belonging with Edmund.
#38
• Mentioned in 395 episodes
The Wealth of Nations
Adam Smith
Published in 1776, 'The Wealth of Nations' is Adam Smith's magnum opus that laid the groundwork for modern economics.
The book critiques mercantilist economic theories and introduces the concept of the 'invisible hand,' which describes how individual self-interest leads to societal benefit.
It emphasizes the division of labor, the accumulation of capital, and the importance of free markets.
Smith argues that a nation's wealth is not measured by its gold and silver reserves but by the stream of goods and services it produces.
The book also outlines the core functions of government, such as maintaining defense, enforcing civil law, and promoting education, while advocating for limited government intervention in market activities.
#2764
• Mentioned in 23 episodes
A Vindication of the rights of woman
Mary Wollstonecraft
#311
• Mentioned in 122 episodes
The grapes of wrath
John Steinbeck
Published in 1939, 'The Grapes of Wrath' is a powerful and poignant novel by John Steinbeck.
It tells the story of the Joad family, Oklahoma tenant farmers who are forced to leave their home after the devastating effects of the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression.
The novel follows their arduous journey along Route 66 to California, where they face numerous hardships, including poverty, exploitation, and the loss of family members.
The book explores themes of family, survival, and the struggle for human dignity in the face of overwhelming adversity.
It also delves into the broader social and economic issues of the time, highlighting the conflict between the powerful and the powerless.
Steinbeck's work is known for its vivid portrayal of the human condition and its impact on American literature and society.
#75389
Letters for literary ladies
To Which is Added, an Essay on the Noble Science of Self-Justification
Maria Edgeworth
Maria Edgeworth's first published work examines the education and intellectual development of women through letters exchanged between male correspondents and the fictional characters Julia and Caroline.
The concluding essay, “The Noble Science of Self-Justification,” satirically explores the ways people rationalize their conduct, while the broader work argues that educated women can remain virtuous and fulfill domestic responsibilities.
#131545
Castle Rackrent
Maria Edgeworth
With Jonah Goldberg sleeping off his election-night hangover, Dispatch in-house grumbler Kevin Williamson takes the helm for today’s conversation with author Jeanna Smialek. The pair discuss Jeanna’s new book about the novelist and cover economist Maria Edgeworth, digging into political economy, Adam Smith, moral novels, women’s education, Harriet Martineau, early feminism, utilitarianism, value theory, Ireland, Little House on the Prairie, and the Great Potato Famine.
Show Notes:
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